Germany's Air Berlin reaches cooperation deal with JetBlue

Germany's Air Berlin says it has reached a cooperation agreement with JetBlue that will improve its customers' transfer options in the United States.

Air Berlin chief commercial officer Goetz Ahmelmann said in a statement Friday that the deal is "only the beginning" of the two companies' cooperation and added that "we are working to extend our partnership in the coming months." The company said that cooperation will include the airlines' frequent flyer programs in the future.

Air Berlin said that benefits for its customers center on transfer connections at New York's John F. Kennedy airport, JetBlue's hub.

Air Berlin has struggled with losses over recent years but said in June that it had decided against applying for German government loan guarantees after making progress with restructuring efforts.